Page 21 of Falling for My Billionaire Fake Date

“What’s going on? Is there any problem?” he asks, sizing me up.

“There’s no problem, baby. Jake’s just an old friend. Isabella’s elder brother. Alex, Jake. Jake, Alexander Parker. My fiancé.” She makes the introductions, ending Alex’s own with a kiss on the cheek and a little giggle while eyeing me smugly as if to gauge my reaction.

Unmoved, I extend my hand to shake with Alex, who takes it with narrowed eyes, his grip too tight for usual handshakes.

“Alexander Parker, nice to meet you.” I scoff inwardly at his formality.

Wish I could say the same for you.

“Jacob Reynolds,” I reply, squeezing his hand even tighter, making him immediately release his grip.Childish, Jake, childish. But I don’t seem to feel bad about it.

“Well, have a nice day, you two. ‘Till we meet again.” I nod my greetings at them and am about to leave when Alex’s voice stops me.

What’s with these two, stopping people when they obviously want to leave?

“You’ll be seeing more of us, actually. There’s an old friend I’ll be meeting in town. Our paths might cross again.”

I shrug, inwardly rolling my eyes.

“Good luck with that,” I answer, while leaving, not sparing them a glance.

I puff out a breath and jump into my car, a loud silence descending.

Bella turns to look at me worriedly from the passenger seat, her eyes telling me how sorry she is. “I’m sorry, Jake. Sophia said she was sorry and really wanted to talk to you. She feels bad, you know?” Mom groans in the backseat behind Bella, who rolls her eyes.

“It’s fine, Bells.” I try to assure her.

“So, when do I meet your girlfriend?” mom asks, her voice perking up and Bella squealing excitedly.

“Yes, Jake, when do we get to meet her? I would love to have breakfast, though. I’m starving,” Bella adds.

I sigh, debating on how best to tell them the truth. I turn the car toward The Dynamic Trio, the street busier than when I left it. Briefly, I wonder which one Aurora is currently in among her three shops.

The plan is to take them to Toasty Tunes - a breakfast diner around the block on another street.

“Ooh, is that a café beside a pastry shop?” Bella says in awe, squishing her face against the window like a little kid.

Turning to me, she asks, “Do you think they have pancakes there?”

“I don’t know, Bella, I’ve never even been in there. It’s called the Crust and Crumb Café so I bet it will. But I’m taking you to another place around the corner called Toasty Tunes. It’s a breakfast diner so I’m sure they will have lots of pancakes.

“Well, let’s check this one out. We’re right here!” she exclaims.

I swallow, wondering why a coffee shop situated beside a pastry shop has fascinated her so much. I veer off the road and turn towards the shop’s parking lot. There are only three cars in there, probably tourists. Linking hands with mom and Bells, I hold my breath as we walk to the pastry shop.

Given the lack of cars in the lot, I’m impressed at how many people are eating, their children playing around, chasing one another, and having a great time. I realize it must be the ambiance as much as the food or treats. No other diner has this much space for families right in front of their shops. It’s actually quite charming.

“The owner must be smart, adding this space for the children to play, and their parentsto keep watch.”

I grunt in agreement.

I wonder what Aurora’s reaction will be if she sees us. As we enter, a bell chimes cheerily above us. Eyeing an empty booth, we grab it, mom and Bella taking the bench opposite me. Almost immediately, a cheery waiter comes to our table to take our orders.

“Good morning! Welcome to The Crust and Crumb. My name is Noah. How can I assist you today?” he says, in a genuinely happy-to-help voice.

“Good morning, Noah. Do you serve pancakes please?” my sister asks, hopefully.

“Of course we do.”

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